Mother and daughter killed in Monday morning crash on 50-Highway

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KINGSVILLE, Mo. -- Inattention and failure to yield to oncoming traffic are to blame for a crash that claimed the lives of a mother and her young daughter.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the crash happened Monday morning on one of the state's deadliest highways.

It happened on Mo. 50-Highway near Lone Jack around 7:30 a.m.

Investigators said driver error is to blame for the deaths of 47-year-old Alicia McGinnis of Blairstown, Mo., and her 8-year-old daughter Kacee McGinnis.

McGinnis was reportedly attempting to cross the westbound lanes of 50-Highway when she traveled into the path of a Jeep Liberty. Police said Alicia and Kacee died at the scene.

A friend of the McGinnis family said Alicia was filled with joy and laughter, and was a delight to be around.

Sgt. Collin Stosberg with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said driver inattention has already cost far too many lives.

"Failing to yield, inattention, sadly. Far too many crashes are occurring because people are not paying attention. 90% of all fatal crashes can be traced back to driver error," Stosberg said.

Stosberg stressed that when motorists are entering or trying to cross a highway with vehicles going 65 to 70 miles per hour, it's important to look in both directions several times to make sure you are clear to proceed.

"50-Highway is a deadly highway. It's one of the deadliest we have in our troop."

On March 13, Shirley Tran, 14, was killed in a crash at the intersection of M0-131 and 50-Highway. She was riding with her 20-year-old sister and another 20-year-old friend when a 32-year-old woman failed to yield and pulled out in front of them. The intersection in Monday’s crash is about 4 miles west of the intersection where Tran was killed in March.

Rich Shipley, an engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, said in 2011, MoDOT made changes to the intersection of 50-Highway and Route Z to make it safer.

"It was a traditional crossover, then they went to what's called an offset left, which gives you a better left turning movement, better visibility, able to make a safer crossing," Shipley explained.

"I got goosebumps because those families are affected by that; communities are affected by that; school districts are affected by that," Stosberg said.

Police said the two 20-year-old occupants of the Jeep went to the hospital with minor injuries.